1. When leave is planned well, employees return stronger
Laura described her first leave as “overwhelming.” She crowdsourced advice, patched together handover docs and did her best with the information she had.
But the second time around, with a more generous leave policy and Parentaly’s support, her mindset completely shifted:
“My mind was in a good place to jump back in.”
After workshops with an expert Parentaly career coach and gaining access to our conversation guides, coverage templates and re-onboarding plans, she was able to prepare her team, advocate for herself and have better alignment and clarity with her manager.
The support she had to plan well, delegate clearly and think ahead all made her more confident and productive upon her return.
2. Career planning during leave = better role alignment later
One of the most unexpected benefits Laura described was the opportunity to reflect on her career and success at Hershey - not just her to-do list.
As part of her experience with the Parentaly program, Laura recalled completing an exercise that focused on what parts of her role gave her energy, where she wanted to grow and how her responsibilities might shift after leave.
That exercise gave her the permission to think long-term about her role, how she could contribute more to the business and how to initiate those conversations with her manager before she left.
The result was clearer alignment, better prioritization of responsibilities and work that made the most of her strengths.
For employers, this is where the ROI becomes real. When employees return with clarity about their role and career direction, they ramp faster, contribute more meaningfully and stay more engaged.
And this strategic career planning during leave sets the stage for stronger performance and retention - not just smoother transitions.
3. Internal advocates amplify impact
Laura was instrumental in bringing Parentaly’s program to Hershey.
As a leader within Hershey’s women’s BRG, she was one of the early voices advocating for parental leave resources. She championed the partnership with Parentaly and quickly became an internal spokesperson, regularly sharing sign-up links and Parentaly’s resources with colleagues preparing for leave.
Her advocacy extended well beyond individual conversations. By surfacing common challenges and helping organize employee feedback, the BRG became a bridge between employee experience and organizational action.
Laura’s work shows how internal advocates can do more than support their peers - they can spark lasting change.
Why parental leave works so well
What makes Hershey’s approach to parental leave so effective? It’s the combination of policy and programming.
They provided a meaningful increase of paid leave as employees expanded their families. Paired with Parentaly’s coverage planning workshops, manager trainings and planning resources - which helps employees better plan before, during and after parental leave - and you get a much stronger parental leave experience.
This “policy + program” model creates smoother reentry, reduces uncertainty for managers and teams and helps employees return with clarity and renewed purpose.
Laura’s story is a reminder that supporting the full parental leave journey isn’t a “nice-to-have” - it’s a business-critical investment.
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